connect this word to others:

From French kitchens comes the term mise en place. It means "put in place: readiness, preparedness, preparation, having everything in place and ready to go," a beautiful term for an excellent habit.

You might even think of it as a principle, a way of being, both physically and mentally. Dan Charnas does. He elevates mise en place to a philosophy in Work Clean, defining it like this:

"In the kitchen mise-en-place means to gather and arrange the ingredients and tools needed for cooking. But for many culinary professionals, the phrase connotes something deeper. Mise-en-place is a tradition of focus and discipline, a method of working and being. Many cooks call it a way of life."

The "mise" in mise en place means "a putting, or a placing," and it ultimately comes from the Latin mittere, "to put, to place, to send, to release." See if you can recall these other words that also trace back to mittere:

More generally, "mise en place" means the idea, habit, or process of having everything in place, ready to be used.Pronunciation:MEEZE on PLOSS

Other forms:none

How to use it:

Some writers put this term in italics to emphasize its foreignness: "mise en place." And some writers prefer hyphens to mark the idea more clearly as a single unit of meaning: "mise-en-place." I do neither. You do you.

Talk about someone's mise en place, or the mise en place of some area (like a kitchen, a bathroom vanity, a classroom, or an archeological dig site) or some process (like cooking, applying makeup, teaching, learning, or digging for artifacts).

And while mise en place most often involves literal tools and materials, it could involve figurative ones. For example, your mise en place could consist of ordering your goals and other thoughts before entering an important conversation. And we'll see an example below about an author's mise en place that consists of ordering characters and stories into a mythology before writing a novel.

Our game this month is Distinctive Definitions.

In each issue, consider a definition provided by a poet, a writer, or a philosopher, and see if you can name the definiendum: the thing or concept being defined. (Is it life, love, time, death, music, sleep, pain, laughter, bubblegum, stubbing your toe…???) For example, James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) said, "What men call ________ and the Gods call dross." He’s defining something—what is it? "Treasure."

Now, you can play this game in earnest, trying to think of what the poet actually wrote--or you can play it for laughs, supplying the silliest or most sarcastic answer you can muster.

To take the silliness to the next level, gather your friends or family, deal each person a hand of cards from your copy of Apples to Apples (great for kids) or Cards Against Humanity (not for kids!!), and enjoy the ensuing hilarity. (In these games, players take turns being the judge for each round, picking the funniest from everyone’s submissions.) "What men call stretch limos and the Gods call dross." "What men call Morgan Freeman's voice and the Gods call dross."

From the previous issue:

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (1775-1854) said, "Since it is music in space, as it were a frozen music... If _____ in general is frozen music."

Answer: Architecture.

Try this one today:

Diogenes Laërtius (3rd century AD) said, "Solon used to say… that _____ were like cobwebs,—for that if any trifling or powerless thing fell into them, they held it fast; while if it were something weightier, it broke through them and was off."

review this word:

1. The opposite of MISE EN PLACE is

A. DISARRAY.
B. SPECTACLE.C. GENEROSITY.

2. Thinking of what to call the placemat at the center of the table, the one that _____, Chad suggested "mise-en-place."

A. takes up less space than a true "runner"
B. keeps salt, pepper, napkins, and Tabasco sauce at the ready
C. disappears under a jumble of bills, keys, coupons, and medicines

1. A
2. B

a final word:

Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.